How to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder in 7 Easy Steps

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With winter coming around for a lot of folks, this means the return of Seasons Affective Disorder which is also known as SAD. This is a type of depressive disorder that is based on seasonal changes.

Typically, SAD comes out during the winter and fall and then goes away in the summer and spring. It’s possible for a person to get sadder in the warm seasons and happier in the cold seasons but this is relatively rare.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is believed to stem from not getting a sufficient amount of sun due to the shorter and colder days. Not only that but in most places winter is also the time for a lot of big holidays which can actually make people more depressed.

So even if you just get a little bit sadder or have severe Seasonal Affective Disorder, this list will hopefully help you to feel better!

**This post contains affiliate links which means I get a very small commission from every sale made. However, this does not compromise my integrity and I genuinely only recommend things I believe in and/or use myself.**

1. Light Therapy

This is a common therapy that is recommended for SAD. It consists of looking at a UV lightbox for certain periods of time on the daily.

As the UV rays mimic sun rays, they can help to compensate for the insufficient sun you’re getting due to the cold weather. This can improve your mood, while also helping you to feel fresher and less fatigued.

How long you wish to stay in front of the light and at what time during the day is up to you. Some suggestions are using the light in the morning when getting ready, while doing yoga, while meditating or when relaxing at home.

I’ve found most people benefit from using it in the morning as it gives them a bit of a boost for the day, and because mornings are usually dark and cold in the winter. But it’s entirely up to you!

The lightbox I have is the one below. It’s the recommended amount of UV rays and it has settings for how bright you want the light to be. This is really nice if you’re not used to using a lightbox yet and you want to start off less intensely and slowly get more comfortable with it.

Note that this lightbox does not use batteries. I like that because it’s less wasteful for the environment and prevents it from ever just running out of batteries when you need it. However, that does mean you need to have it plugged in.

I personally really enjoy this light and its features!

2. Vitamin D Supplements

Continuing on the sunlight train, you may need to take vitamin D supplements to help your Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Also known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D helps improve your mood and alleviate depressive symptoms.

If you live in a colder country that has long winters (like me), you should be taking vitamin D year-round! This may be a good first step if you don’t want to go to antidepressants right away.

The vitamin D supplements I take are listed below. They are the right amount of UI and they are super small and easy to swallow. Not only that but there are a lot of pills in the bottle so it’s a great bang for your buck!

3. Vacation

Not all of us get the luxury of vacation (that includes me). But if you are someone who has the privilege to be able to afford a vacation and take some time off, I strongly suggest doing it in the winter months.

I would also recommend you chose somewhere that is sunny and warm to help you get that sunshine and feel better.

But aside from the sun, vacations can also be moments to bond with loved ones, have new experiences, relax, learn new things and get out of your regular routine. All of that is so important to our general well-being, especially in the winter!

4. Exercise

Exercise is incredibly important for our mental and physical health overall. But the reason it’s so important for Seasonal Affective Disorder is that when we exercise, we release endorphins.

Endorphins help reduce our stress levels and boost our mood. So you’re going to want as many of them as possible when you’re experiencing SAD.

Of course, exercising can be hard when it’s cold outside, so I recommend finding an activity you can do at home to get yourself moving! Personally, I like to do yoga and just dance around in my room when all else fails.

Any exercise is better than none!

5. Seeing a professional

If you have severe Seasonal Affective Disorder, you may greatly benefit from seeing a mental health professional during the winter months.

They can help guide and support you, and depending on their credentials even be able to prescribe you medication if needed.

Having someone to talk to, especially a professional, can help make experiencing SAD much more bearable. It also ensures that you’re doing the right things for your specific symptoms.

6. Anti-depressants

Sometimes we need a bit of help to be able to feel better. If you find that nothing helps your Seasonal Affective Disorder, you might want to consider anti-depressants or another type of mental health medication. Medication can help alleviate depressive symptoms and improve your ability to function in the way you did in the non-depressive seasons.

Whether you take them during the full year or only during the winter months is up to you and your doctor. But I think it’s important to note that there’s no shame in taking medication.

With SAD especially, a lot of times people think they shouldn’t take medication because it’s temporary and they feel ashamed about it. But there’s nothing wrong in needing medication to alleviate your symptoms when they flare-up.

Talk to your doctor or a psychiatrist about what might be beneficial for you and give it a try if you think it’s what you need!

7. Make extra time for self-care

If you know that you get extra sad during the winter months, make sure to carve out extra time for your self-care.

Taking more time to do the things that make you feel good can make a world of a difference by boosting your happy brain chemicals.

Not only that but it helps to install self-love which is likely going to be much needed if you’re feeling more depressed than normal.

You can even try out new forms of self-care to make it more exciting! Here are some ideas:

• Playing like a kid in the snow then taking a warm shower and getting in your comfiest clothes
• Wearing cozy ponchos at home
• Learning a new recipe
• Reading a book
• Watching a new show
• Styling your hair in a new way
• Having a spa day (or at home spa day)
• Trying different types of hot chocolate

Regardless of what it is, take time to have fun and pamper yourself. In these cold depressing months, it can really help to alleviate Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms and make the winter more enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

It’s hard not to get the winter blues when it’s always so dark, cold and Christmas music is playing 24/7. But I hope that this list gave you some fresh ideas about how you can alleviate your symptoms and make this winter season merrier (pun completely intended).

All my love,

T